Feed and litter carrier.



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APPLIOATION FILED MAR.18,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

rufen/TL" l No. 884,649. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. H. L. FERRIS.

FEED AND LITTER' CARRIER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 1s, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

H. L. PERRIS.

EEED AND LITTEE DAEEIEE. APPLIOATION FILED MAE. 1a. lo?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

`To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. FERRIS, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO IIUN'I. lllCliM, FERRIS da COMPANY,

, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FEED AND Lr'r'rnn CARRIER.

Be it' known that I, HENRY L'. FERRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvard, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Feed and Litter Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in feed and litter carriers, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the .accompanying drawings, in which Y Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device showing the same in position upon a track; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through one of the hangers and parts adjacent thereto; Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, looking from the left las seen in Fig. 2; Flg. 4 is a perspective view of the switching. mechanism together with a portionof the movable switch track; Fig. 5 is a plan of the tracks, the switching mechanism being cut of' in horizontal section just above the' level `of one of the tracks;` and Fig. 6 is a section in the line 6 of Fig. 5 showing the pivot of the movable switch track.

. Referring to the drawings, A is a suitable track which in the 'form of constructionherein illustrated is composed of two angle irons, with the angles at the lower adjacent corners, bolted together so as to form two substantially horizontal webs and an upwardly extendingcentral slotted portion. Upon the track, A, run pulleys, b, arranged 1n pairs running upon the two horizontal websl of the track, the said pulleys being secured 1n position in hangers, B, which may be of any desired form and are suitable for surrounding track, A. Swiveled to the hangers, B, are journals, C, C1, between which extends a rotatable shaft, D, preferably constructed of tubing for the sake of strength and lightness. On one end of the shaft, D, I mount a gear, E, freely rotatable with respect to the shaft and held against longitudinal dis' lacement thereon by engagement with the anger, C, to one side and with a in, e, running in an annular groove upon tie gear to the other side, the pin being securely fastened to the shaft as indicated in Fig. 2. The gear, E, meshes with a Worm, El, secured to a counter-shaft, c1 extending transversely with res ect to the shaft D, and journaled in suita le brackets rlprovided to receive it upon the hanger, C. o one end of the shaft, e1, 1s

Specification df Letters Patent.

',Application filed March 18, 1907.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 362,990.

secured a sheave, F, over which runs a continuous loop of chain or other fiexible material, F1. It will be obvious that by drawing the loop, F1, continuously in one direction, the sheave, F, will be rotated, with consequent rotation of the gear, E, through the medium of the worm, El. Reverse action, i. el rotation of the sheave by pressure exerted upon the gear is readily prevented by properly arranging the pitch of the worm and gear.

In order to secure a rotation of the shaft, D, when the gear, E, is rotated, I secure to the shaft, D, a longitudinally movable clutchcollar, G, secured against rotation with respect to the shaft by means of a pin, g, passing through a slot in the shaft. The face of the clutch-collar adjacent to the gear, E, is formed with projections adapted to engage with corresponding depressions in the face of the gear all formed in the ordinary way common in such devices. Pivoted to the bracket in which the worm, El, is journaled, is a hellcrank lever, G1, having a horizontal arm and a vertical arm, the horizontal arm having secured to its extremity al chain, g1, by which the bell-crank lever can be rotated. The vertical arm of the bell-crank is bifurcated and carries upon its upper end pins, which run in an annular groove upon the clutchcollar, G. The bell-crank lever, G1, is normally held, by means of a spring, g?, in such position as to hold the clutchecollar, G, in engagement with the gear, E, so that the shaft and gear will normally rotate together, but the shaft can be disengaged from the gear at any time by drawing down upon the chain, g1. As a matter of convenience, I utilize the chain, g1, as an anchoring chain and for this purpose I secure to it an anchoring hook, y, which can engage with one of the webs of the track and when in such engagement will prevent longitudinal movement of ldie carrier along the track, any pressure exerted by the carrier upon the bell-crank lever at such its opposite end secured to a collar, il, rotatable u on the said shaft but held against longitudinal movement thereon, and the chain, I1, having one end stationarily secured to an eye, i2, upon the shaft D, and hav- .ing its olgmsite end secured to an eye in the journal, Thus when the shaft, D, is rotated by the means already described, the two right hand ends of the chain, I and I1, will be wound up upon said shaft so that the frame, H1, and container, H, will be raised. When raised `these parts will stay in any desired position by reason of the use of the worm-and gear as one of the elements of the hoisting means and the same can readily be lowered by throwing out the clutch to perm-it the shaft to rotate in a reverse direction. The right hand ends or links of the chain will not be wound up so that the shaft will have a double leverage upon thecontainer.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I will setfforth the construction of the .switching mechanism used in connection with my carrier. Between the two angle arm members of the track, A, at the ends ,where it is desired to switch the carriers, is

secured a bracket, a, bifurcated at its end, a

in, al, bein passed vertically throu h the rcations o said bracket. Pivota y secured to said pin, 0.1, is a second bracket, a?, secured between the ends of twocorres onding angle-iron members of a switch trac A1, the perforations through said bracket, a2, being enlarged at its upper end so that said switch track may be swung -verticallyabout its ivot to a slight extent as well as horizonta y.

- is provided with a gage with notches, 7c, in a segment, cl, car- `In the form of device illustrated in the drawings, three terminal tracks, A2, A3 and A4 are provided, theends of said terminal tracks bein-g arrangedon an arc struck about the in, al, as, a center, so that the free end of t e switch track', Al, can be brought into immediate juxtaposition with any one of the terminal tracks as desired.

A latch, J,is secured to the free end of the switch track, A1, and said latch has a downwardly projectingpoin't, j, adapted to pass between the members of the terminal tracks, A2, A3 and A, alinement with any one of said tracks as may be desired. The upper end of the latch, J,

hook, 7'1, adapted to ento lock the switch track in ried by a switch bracket, K, supported above downwardly projecting point, j, upon the latch, J, 1s disengaged from the terminal tracks, A2,'A3 and A4. By pulling upon one end of the cord and mean-while keeping tension upon the other end thereof the free end of the switch track can be shifted as desired and brought into alinement with any one of the terminal tracks, and upon releasing the cord the track will be properly alined by enagement of the hook and point upon the Iatch with the notches upon the segment and with the terminal tracks respectively. The switching operation'can be effected with the greatest ease and the proper alinement of Athe tracks is largely automatic, because, in

ractice, as soon as the hook upon the latch as ridden up upon the segment out of one notch, it wil be permitted to rest thereon,

and will be drawn along by one end` of the cord, and upon reaching the next succeeding notch, the switch track will fall automatically into place in proper'and perfect alinement.

In this application I have drawn claims only to the overhead switch*v ortion of the device above described and t erly combined therewith, all container itself and the hoisting means therefor being embodied inan the 11th day e parts pro of- December '1907, Serial No.

406015 which application shows a container.

substantially similar to the one shown in this aphcatlon but with a certain improvement ad ed thereto.

I realize that considerable variation is possible 1n the detalls of this construction with-k out eparting from the spirit of my invention, and I do not intend therefore to limit myself to the speciiic form herein shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combinationl with` a main track,

hangers running upon said track and a container `carried bysaid hangers, of a pivoted switch track, cord guides adjacent to the .free ends of such switch track, a cord passing over said cord guides and having engagement with the free end of said switch track and engaging means on the switchtrack to coperatewith the terminal tracks to aline the switch-track therewith.

2. The combination with a main track,`

claims to t e ,105 application filed on ien' 3. The combination with a mainv track,

hangers running thereon and a container carried by said hangers, of terminal tracks, a pivoted switch track secured to the end 0f said main track and capable of a slight vertical oscillation about its pivot in addition to a horizontal movement, a latch on the end of said switch track having a point adapted to engage the terminal tracks, cord guides adjacent to and above the end of saidswitch track, and' cords passing over said guides and engaging said switch track below said guides. l

Lt. The combination with a main track, hangers running upon said main track and a container carried by said hangers, of terminal tracks, a switch track pivoted to the end of said main track and capable of horizontal oscillation about its pivot and a limited vertical oscillation, a latch on the end of said 'swath track, a hook @n sind 1fach, a

segment having notches for engagement with saidv hook, cord guides adjacent to the free end of said switch and above the same, and cords passing through said cord guides and having b'elov said guides.

5. The combination with a .main track, hangers running upon said track and a container carried by said hangers, of terminal tracks, a switch track pivoted to the end of the main track and capable of horizontal oscillation about its pivot and a limitedvertical oscillation, a latch on the end of said switch track having a oint to engage with the terminal tracks, a ook on said latch, a segment having notches to engage with said hook, cord guides adjacent to the end of said switch track and above the same and cords passing over said cord guides and havin engagement with said latch below the leve ofsaid guides.

In testimony whereof have hereunto setv my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Chicago, illinois, this sixteenth dayof March, D. 1907'.

HENRY I.. FERRS.

engagement with said latch 

